Amateur-built 77-1 accident near Bellingham, Washington, May 20, 1987
On May 20, 1987 at about 8:20 pm local time, a amateur-built 77-1, registered N28LM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bellingham, Washington (Bellingham Int'L. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 1987 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Bellingham, Washington · Bellingham Int'L. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 77-1
- Registration
- N28LM · registry record · serial 78-3
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A GUSTING 90 DEGREE CROSSWIND WAS PRESENT DURING THE TAKEOFF. A GUST RAISED THE AIRCRAFTS LEFT WING AND THE PILOT OVER-CORRECTED WITH LEFT AILERON AND LEFT RUDDER. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STALLED, IMPACTING THE RUNWAY IN A LEFT WING DOWN, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THIS WAS THE PILOT'S SECOND FLIGHT IN THIS EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 550 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 430 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BLI Bellingham WA at 8:20 pm
- Destination: WA13 Concrete WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA87LA099.